**This article has been updated.**
Despite hours of public testimony Monday, the Urbana City Council approved a motion to add an ordinance that would institute a local 1% grocery tax to the regular agenda. Action on the tax will be taken at a future city council meeting.
“I want to make it very clear in saying that I hear you — I appreciate you,” said Mayor DeShawn Williams. “Everyone here understands the realities that we are facing. The president has made cities like ours a target, unfortunately, due to us refusing to participate in immigration raids … but to get through this, we’re going to need to preserve every revenue source that we can.”
Urbana is considering the grocery tax after the state’s version of the tax — also for 1% — was repealed by the state legislature effective January 1, 2026, leaving the option of its continued imposition up to local governments. The tax was first instated in the 1990 sales tax reform after the formation of the State and Local Sales Tax Reform Fund.
The only dissenting vote came from Ward 6 Council Member Grace Wilken.
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Revenue was the word of the day — with multiple council members underscoring the importance of it in light of financial uncertainty allegedly caused by the Trump administration.
“This is when my progressive pals tar and feather me in the parking lot, because I am in favor of this tax,” said Ward 2 Council Member Christopher Evans. “This poor man can afford a penny on the dollar if it buys good stuff we need and we want. We need revenue — the lunatic in the White House is taking it all.”
Ward 7 Council Member James Quisenberry voiced his support for the tax, agreeing with Evan’s assessment that the tax was “a penny on a dollar.” Shirese Hursey, Ward 3 Council Member, also repeated the phrase: “I’m going to be voting for this tax … it’s a penny per a dollar.”
Wilken, the lone dissenter, said the grocery tax would bring in revenue for the community, but emphasized her frustration with passing a tax to raise revenue while spending more money on the police department.
Continued debate on police funding
Consideration of the city’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2026 was also added to the regular agenda — postponing any decision to a future council meeting — following contentious discussion surrounding the amount allocated to the city’s police department.
“I understand that this budget is proposing about $800,000 a year in more police,” Wilken said. “There is a choice to keep our budget balanced if we were to not expand our police department and we could forgo this grocery tax entirely.”
The proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget increases the Police Department’s budget to $16,353,167, up from $15,742,940 in the adopted Fiscal Year 2025 budget, a 3.9% increase.
The proposed budget includes $367,000 in annual costs and $207,000 in startup costs allocated to hire three patrol officers, $112,500 in extending existing hiring incentives and $150,000 for a sergeant to supervise the work of a Community Engagement Team, totaling $836,500.
Unlike the previous night, most chairs remained empty throughout the course of the recessed meeting, and the meeting wrapped up after just over two hours. Discussion surrounding the budget took up most of the meeting, despite the final vote resulting in a deferral until the next regularly scheduled meeting.
Ward 2 Council Member Christopher Evans motioned to divide the budget ordinance into two votes. One vote would cover select portions of the police budget, and the second vote would address the remaining majority of the proposed budget.
Evans opened the floor to his fellow council members, welcoming adjustments to the motion for a divided vote. Wilken motioned to divide the vote further into three separate votes, splitting the police vote into two.
“I do very seriously care about the well-being of our officers, and I really appreciate the information we received from Urbana Police Department leadership,” Wilken said. “We haven’t even felt the impact of being fully staffed and filling the positions from last year … I think that it’s important to maintain what we have and put our priorities on other needs in the community.”
Her argument was rebuked by Quisenberry, who stood with the budget. He voiced his willingness to consider amendments and further discussions after its passing.
“I am against dividing the question in this way because (Mayor Williams) has brought a budget to us that he has worked hard to develop,” Quisenberry said. “That doesn’t mean that we can’t talk about little bits here and there, but we’re talking about a fundamental commitment.”
Quisenberry referenced his prior plans to run for mayor before he gave his support to present Williams’ mayoral campaign.
“We’re taking the first major initiative document that we have been provided as a part of this administration and cutting it up and disregarding the work that has gone into bringing to us,” Quisenberry said. “I won’t vote for it, and I will continue to vote for (the mayor.) I gave up my opportunity to run for mayor of this city for him, and I will continue to support him.”
Ultimately, the 30 minute debate on dividing the budget into multiple votes failed. Both Evans’ and Wilken’s proposals lost 2-4, and the motion to postpone passed 6-1, including the mayor’s vote. Wilken was the only dissenter.
CORRECTION: June 19, 1:00 p.m. — A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Ordinance No. 2025-06-021, which would institute a local grocery tax, was approved by Urbana City Council Tuesday. However, what city council voted on was a motion adding the grocery tax ordinance to the regular agenda. Action will be taken on the tax at a later meeting.
